Strength Of A Friend
by Infinite Snow
Summary: DEDICATED TO JAMIE VALENTINE REDFIELD - "But what I do know is that I will be here to help you through all of the hurdles, just like how you are always there for me." [Rima/Amu]
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This one-shot is dedicated to my real-life best friend, who on here goes by Jamie Valentine Redfield. She is going through some rough times right now and as her friend for 3 years, I feel pathetic and useless that I can't do anything to help her. I don't know what's going on, I don't know how much stress she is going through, and I don't know how much of a comfort I can actually be for her. I know the best I can do is to pat her on the shoulder and let her vent, but that doesn't solve problems.

To Jamie – I want to let you know that although our interests are different, although we are polar opposites and I know I annoy you a lot at school, you are an amazing friend. You had my back in several ways you may not realize and I am here to say "thank you".

Enjoy this one-shot, inspired by her. And when you are done, do this:

1 – Search, "Jamie Valentine Redfield" in the search bar, switching the option "story" to "writer"

2 – Click the button for private message.

3 – Write your username and a cute heading in the subject line.

4 – Write a nice message, a cute pun, or a funny joke which is sure to make her smile.

5 – Mention to her that you aren't a creepy stalker but you read this one-shot (include my username "Infinite Snow" and the one-shot title in the message), and you decided to spread some love.

You don't have to do this, but little things like these just make people smile. And your reward? A sense of selflessness. I don't know what's a better motivator than good karma, I mean, come on!

-o-

"Cool and spicy!" The little boy stammered as Amu walked away from the alley.

Amu sighed and rolled her eyes. The boy didn't go to her school but maybe he heard of the rumors coming from Seiyo about her supposed personality.

But that wasn't what she was like. Not at all. But all the annoying girls and boys just stayed far from her at school, never communicating with her but making a live broadcast of her every move.

It almost felt like she had no room to breathe. She felt like a celebrity, whose moves are documented by the media. Every slip up is magnified, and every good deed is ignored.

Sliding into her secluded seat at the back of the classroom, the teacher went to go rant about a new student who went by the name of Rima Mashiro. Amu rolled her eyes, and knew that she would be some other pretty girl.

Rima was pretty, no doubt, but her face on her Barbie doll face was uncharacteristically blank.

"Go choose a seat, Rima," the teacher smiled at the girl.

Instantly, without Rima's recognition, hands flew up in the air. Many people were either requesting she sat next to them or demanding her to do what they said.

Rima rolled her eyes. Her mom thought transferring to a new school meant a fresh start but these students here are as dumb as the students at her old school. Her eyes rested on the only student who wasn't acting like a maniac. Amu.

"I'll sit next to her," Rima pointed to Amu, ignoring the sounds of disappointment.

Amu's head shot up as she saw Rima walking towards her.

"You're different," Rima said, "And I like that."

-o-

"Amu? Amu? Amu? Amu? Am-"

"WHAT?!"

"Hi."

"Seriously why are you still following me around?" Amu asked, annoyed.

It was lunch, and Rima had been following Amu around like a little duckling. And her schedule matched Amu's so it wasn't like the pinkette had a breather before she had to face the blonde.

"Because I want to be your friend," Rima simply stated.

"There were hundreds of volunteers," Amu stated.

"I bet there were," Rima nodded.

"And you chose me," Amu pointed to herself.

"Of course, why not?" Rima cocked her head to one side.

Amu's face mirrored disbelief as she lost it and yelled, "How can you be my friend? I am a lonely person and I am labeled as this cool 'n' spicy person that I'm not! Why don't you talk to a girl who actually wants to be your friend?"

"Because I'm misunderstood, too," Rima said.

Amu suddenly became shocked as she asked, "Wait what?"

"All the schools I have been to, the girls thought I was adorable and the guys would think of me as some Barbie doll who didn't have much going on beyond looks," Rima said, "it's hard being the shortest one and constantly being obsessed over. I get it."

Amu didn't say anything until Rima broke the silence by offering her hand.

"C'mon, let's be friends," Rima said, "I want to be your friend. Your best friend, in fact."

Amu didn't say anything but silently shook Rima's hand, in silent approval.

-o-

Amu came home and there was a note on the fridge, from her mom Midori.

 _Dearest Amu-chan,_

 _Ami-chan got noticed by an agency so we went to go take her for the audition! Pray that Ami wins! She might grow up to become a professional model!_

 _There's money on the fridge, just order some pizza. We might be home past midnight, so don't bother staying awake after you finish homework!_

 _Love you,_

 _Mama_

The pinkette crumpled the note and threw it away. This was normal. Most of the time her parents would be out trying to take Ami to auditions in hope that her younger sister would get noticed somehow.

Midori and Tsumugu always claimed that they want Ami to be happy with what she does, but in reality, they just want to make money off of her.

It was always… Ami this, and Ami that! Never did her parents truly pay attention to their older daughter. It was constantly directed towards a toddler who didn't know what to do later in life.

Her mood would be dampened by the time she read the note, but strangely, she didn't feel any anger. Amu scooped up the money and decided to call Rima.

"Hey Rima?" Amu said once the blonde answered her phone.

"Hi Amu, what's up?" Rima asked.

"Well, I thought since it is Friday night, we could do homework together and then I could order pizza and we could watch movies and such…" Amu trailed off awkwardly.

"Is that a sleepover?" Rima asked excitedly.

"Sure?" Amu asked more than stated.

"I'll go ask my mom! I guess I will bring my backpack with me with all of my school supplies, then!" Rima exclaimed.

"Alright. Text me what your mom said then," Amu smiled.

-o-

Amu was becoming more and more open with Rima. It felt so natural to be around someone who wouldn't judge you or put you on a high pedestal, never to be touched or approached.

One day Amu and Rima went to their normal lunch table which was secluded from the other tables. As they were opening their lunch boxes, someone came up and tapped Rima on her shoulder.

"What do you want?" Rima sighed, automatically assuming that the guy was a jock.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to join me and my friends at that table over there," the guy shyly smiled.

Rima looked over to the table the guy pointed to and the people over there seemed pretty friendly. She shrugged and nodded.

"Okay. Come on, Amu," Rima nudged the pinkette.

"Oh she can't come," the guy shook his head.

"Why not?" Rima raised an eyebrow.

"Because she's a freak," the guy said as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

Rima scowled, "This 'freak' you talk about is my best friend. If she can't come, then I am not going."

The guy stood stunned for at least ten seconds; clearly he hadn't been rejected by a cute girl before and now was a perfect time for firsts.

Coughing to gain his composure, he rolled his eyes and shrugged as he said, "Whatever. Your loss."

He sauntered off back to his table where his friends fired a conversation clearly about Rima who was the first girl to reject him.

"What a jackass," Rima huffed, "If he thought I was just going to dump you and go to his side, he's delusional."

"I thought you would," Amu admitted softly, "Most of my former friends abandoned me."

"Well then they're stupid and shallow," Rima glared at Amu, "They are too caught up with themselves to see you're the best friend they would ever have."

Compliments were rare but when they were directed towards Amu, they sounded as beautiful as silver bells.

"Thank you," Amu smiled so big that it seemed to reach from ear to ear.

Rima, taken aback, just managed to nod.

-o-

"So what do you want to do afterschool today?" Amu asked, once school was over.

"I don't know, but whatever we decide on I better tell my mom, or else she will yell my head off," Rima said.

"I bet it feels nice to have a parent who worries about you," Amu smiled.

"I don't know," Rima sighed, watching cars pass by, "It feels like she is just controlling my existence."

"That sounds better than my parents. They are so invested in my little sister, Ami, that they forget I even exist in the house," Amu shrugged.

Rima looked at Amu in shock. She never knew that the pinkette also was suffering from personal problems as well.

"I don't know, it just sounds nice to be fussed and worried over rather than to be placed on a pedestal or be ignored," Amu mumbled.

"No you're right," Rima sighed, "I was being too fussy. But really, tell me what you'd like to do afterschool and we can do it. I just have to fire a text to my mom though."

-o-

That time at dinner, Amu's parents were lamenting over the fact that Ami had been rejected from yet another audition.

"You do realize that she's just a toddler and she will have much more potential later on, right?" Amu interrupted their dramatic conversation of 'being bad parents'.

"But I thought they would see that she is so much prettier than the other girls!" Midori sighed.

"It was a contest for 15 year olds and you decided to let her audition? I think there is a 12-year age difference here," Amu said.

"Maybe that's what the reason was," Midori gasped.

They looked at each other and gasped again like fishes coming out of the water. Then they grabbed Ami and ran out of the room yelling about how they had to plan for her victory in 13 years.

"Or you could let her live a normal life," Amu rolled her eyes as she placed her dishes in the sink.

Her phone started ringing and Amu answered it after a couple of rings.

"Thank god Amu I thought you were never going to answer!" Rima exclaimed.

"Chill, I was just finishing dinner. What's up?" Amu asked.

"Nagihiko asked me out! We're official!" Rima yelled.

A part of Amu's fear was that if Rima dated anybody, she would leave her behind and just make other friends and forget about her.

"Oh… oh that's great," Amu stuttered.

"Amu, are you okay?" Rima asked, knowing something was off in her best friend's voice.

"N-Nothing's wrong!" Amu stammered on her words.

"Amu, I would never replace you with anybody, just remember that," Rima said.

The pinkette didn't know whether to believe these words or not. Because, the both of them recently became friends, and she knew she shouldn't entrust the blonde with her deepest secrets yet.

"Okay," Amu said, her voice wavering with uncertainty.

-o-

Truth to be told, Amu was wrong. She underestimated Rima and her loyalty to her. The blonde had made it clear to her boyfriend that Amu was as important to her as he was, so she wasn't going to drop their friendship to be with him.

Rima always found ways to meet up with Amu even though she was in a serious relationship. But Nagihiko wasn't satisfied that Rima wasn't giving him 110% of her attention so he gave her the ultinum.

"Rima, I think we need to talk," Nagihiko said to the blonde as the pair walked down the hallway to their first class.

"Sure Nagi-kun, what's up?" Rima smiled at her boyfriend.

"Let's go to the corner of the steps, where there is a place for privacy," Nagi pointed.

Rima could feel her nerves building up as she hesitantly nodded. Normally, Nagi was happy to show her off to the rest of the world and being 'private' was the last thing on his mind.

"What is it?" Rima nervously asked.

"I don't like it that you're paying as much attention to Amu as you are to me," Nagi said.

"Nagi, she's my best friend. She's a genuine person who doesn't get treated as special as she truly is. I want to make her feel special by giving her attention," Rima argued, "And she's different from all those fake girls at school."

"But sometimes I feel like I am number 2 in your life," Nagi argued.

"So my whole universe has to revolve around you?!" Rima asked, shocked, "Are you f*cking kidding me?! You're not the boss of me!"

"I thought you agreed to that when you agreed to date me!" Nagi yelled back.

"Well if you thought you could just own me like you did with other girls, then you were dead wrong!" Rima snarled.

"It is either her or me. You choose her, then we're over," Nagi spat, stressing on the last word.

Rima looked at the boy with purple hair that she even considered her boyfriend. The boy with warm amber eyes she fell for. He was her first love and now she felt stupid that she fell into his trap. He wasn't worth her tears, effort or time.

"F*ck you and your life," Rima glowered at Nagihiko and stormed past him into the hallway, bumping into his shoulder so hard that he fell down on his back.

Nagi glowered at his now ex-girlfriend as she disappeared into the swarm of people.

-o-

For the rest of the day, Rima clung onto Amu, walking to and from classes and to lunch as well. Amu knew something was off with Rima and immediately assumed that Rima got into a fight with her boyfriend, but didn't mention it.

As the pinkette and the blonde were walking to Amu's house for a snack and study session (Rima's mom gave permission for them to study at each other's houses on alternate days), Amu decided to ask.

"Rima, did something bad happen?" Amu asked curiously.

"Nagi and I broke up," Rima muttered quietly.

A surprised look washed over Amu's face as she asked, "But I thought that he was a nice guy. At least, he seemed nice towards me."

"Yeah but he wasn't happy that we were close friends. He wanted me to drop our friendship if I wanted to still be with him, and I said no," Rima murmured.

"I'm sorry you two didn't work out," Amu sympathetically said.

"I'm sorry I even fell for him," Rima sniffled.

Amu turned to her friend and said, "Never say that. Love happens for a reason. Some people are lucky on the first try but others have to go through trial and error before you find the one. Maybe he'll come around and change or maybe you will find something different. But what I do know is that I will be here to help you through all of the hurdles, just like how you are always there for me."

Rima's eyes watered as she gave Amu a tight hug.

"Thank you, Amu."

"No, thank you, Rima."

-fin-

 **Inspired by Jamie Valentine Redfield, everybody! Now that you finished the one-shot, go to the top and do the little request I have for everybody to do who reads this piece of work. GO SPAM HER WITH LOTS OF LOVE BECAUSE YOU LIKE TO DO THINGS FROM THE GOOD WILL OF YOUR HEART!**


End file.
